Connecticut Paid Sick Leave Updates

HB 5005

On January 1, 2025, the expansions to the state of Connecticut’s paid sick leave mandate went into effect. Previously, only employers with more than 50 employees in designated service occupations were required to provide paid sick leave to employees. The expansion requires that all Connecticut employers provide all eligible employees 40 hours of annual paid sick leave, to accrue at a rate of 1 hour for every 30 hours worked, and to be used in increments of at least 1 hour. The law also requires that employees be entitled to carry over up to 40 unused accrued hours of paid sick leave each year. The bill provides for a phased implementation:

• Jan. 1, 2025, for employers with 25 or more employees
• Jan. 1, 2026, for employers with 11 or more employees
• Jan. 1, 2027, for employers with one or more employees

Employee headcount is determined each year based on the number of employees included in the company’s payroll for the week of January 1^st.

All covered Connecticut employees regardless of full or part-time status are eligible to receive paid sick leave except for seasonal workers who work fewer than 120 days per year. If a seasonal worker works more than 120 days in a year, they are considered eligible upon reaching the 120 days worked threshold and must be given time retroactive to their start date.

Paid sick leave may be used for any of the following reasons:

• An employee may use paid sick leave for his or her own:
  • illness, injury or health condition;
  • the medical diagnosis, care or treatment of his or her mental
  • illness or physical illness, injury or health condition;
  • preventative medical care; or
  • mental health wellness day.
• An employee may use paid sick leave for a family member’s:
  • illness, injury or health condition;
  • the medical diagnosis, care or treatment of a mental or
  • physical illness, injury or health condition; or
  • preventative medical care.
• An employee may use paid sick leave when:
  • their employer’s place of business or a family member’s school or place of care closes by order of a public official due to a public health emergency; or
  • when a health authority, the employer of the employee or the employee’s family member, or a health care provider determines that the employee or the employee’s family member poses a risk to the health of others because of exposure to a communicable disease.
• An employee may use paid sick leave if the employee or the employee’s family member is a victim of family violence or sexual assault:
  • for medical care or psychological or other counseling for physical or psychological injury or disability;
  • to obtain services from a victim services organization;
  • to relocate due to such family violence or sexual assault;
  • to participate in any civil or criminal proceedings related to or resulting from such family violence or sexual assault.

Under the law, family members are defined as a spouse, sibling, child, grandparent, grandchild, or parent of an employee, or an individual who is related to the employee by blood or by an affinity whose close association the employee shows to be equivalent to those family relationships.

While employers may choose to implement a waiting period for new eligible employees, the waiting period may not exceed 120 calendar days following the date of hire.

With the expansion of this law, employees are not required to provide advance notice of their need to use paid sick leave, and employers may not ask for verifying documentation (for example, a doctor’s note) if employees use this paid sick leave for any reason (up to the 40 hours per year provided under the law).

Businesses that already provide 40 hours of paid time off in the form of vacation, personal time, or other leave are in compliance with this regulation.

The expansion also requires employers to track and keep record of hours worked and paid sick leave accrued and used for every employee. Records must be kept for at least 3 years.

Next Steps:

Employers with 25 or more employees as of January 1, 2025, must ensure that they currently offer at least 40 hours of annual time off to all employees except the seasonal employees noted in this article, and that this time is being tracked appropriately.

In addition, affected employers should revise their time off policies so that the language within the policy comports to the new requirements of this law. Employers not affected at this time should consider revising their time off policies prior to next January.

If you are a current ARI HR client, we will be in touch with you shortly about your Handbook revisions or Addendum for your Handbook as well as any system considerations required in order to ensure compliance.

If you are not a current HR client, please contact ARI HR for any questions about HB 5005, setting up your time off structure, revising your Employee Handbook, and implications for your business.

Please contact ARI HR for any questions about HB 5005, setting up your time off structure, and implications for your business.

ARI is monitoring the status of this rule and the legal challenges. As this change takes effect, the ARI Human Resources Team is here to help you interpret guidelines and regulations, to review your current polices, revise polices as necessary, and to any questions you may have. If you would like to learn more about how we can help support your business, contact us.

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